Gone Baby Gone
by the.brown.eyed.girl
Summary: Emmeline knew the cost of war, she saw it every day. But this time it hit too close to home. Character Death.


**Memo**: Moar DoReMi girls, because I really love them.

Also, I know that this isn't Dorcas's canon death, but I figured that if Voldemort killed her personally, he wouldn't do it in the middle of a fight. And having her die by herself didn't work for the premise of this story.

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There was a flash of yellow light, and someone on the edge of the group stumbled. Instantly duels broke out and the Order went straight in action. Unable to help herself, Emmeline Vance found her eyes automatically searching for a head of bobbed blonde hair attached a petite girl. The moment she found it her heart wrenched and her breathing stopped completely.

Surprised Dorcas Meadowes held one hand to her stomach. It had been she who stumbled, whose injury had started the battle.

_No._

Going against everything Mad-Eye had ever drilled in to their brains during training, Emm made a dash to her girlfriend's side. Halfway there a strong arm caught her around the waist and held her tight.

"Pay attention to the battle, Vance." Fabian Prewett panted keeping a firm hold on her.

_NO._

Watching with absolute horror Emm saw Dorcas pull her hand away from her stomach, saw the small soft hand covered in thick red liquid.

_Oh god no._

"DOR!" The scream ripped its way out of her throat before she could even think to do different.

For a brief moment, Dorcas turned to look her right in the eye, the words 'love you' clearly on her lips as she spun to face the nearest Death Eater.

_NO!_ Why did they keep letting Dorcas fight? Couldn't they see she was bleeding? Couldn't they see Emm was dying?

Panic and a deep-seated, all encompassing sickness spread throughout Emmeline's entire body. Shouts and the heat of magic whirled all around her but the horrid awful noise of dying fell on deaf ears. Why couldn't she get to Dor? No matter how hard she struggled Fabian refused to let go. Her heart beat wildly and out of sync with the rest of her body, yet it also beat an uneven, labored rhythm not 15 feet away, just barely missing a lethal curse.

"DOR!" Emm sobbed, clawing uselessly at Fabian's arm.

Her wide, tear filled eyes took in the next minute with abject terror and she knew immediately they would haunt her until her dying day.

Dor's wand flashed and twirled, her body moving sluggishly as blood continued seeping out of her stomach. The Death Eater had gained ground. Even from 15 away Emm could make out the cruel grin on his face.

Curse, deflect. Curse, deflect. Curse, deflect. Curse. This time, Dor had not been able to move fast enough.

Her brilliant, shining, clever girlfriend stumbled one last time, face crumbling in pain as the Curse hit her directly in the heart. The small, warm body that Emm had held, had worshipped, just last night seemed to fold in on itself as it fell. Light had left Dor's eyes before she even hit the ground.

Just like that, Emm's heart had died.

"DOR! _DOR!"_

Practically manic, the young reporter tore at the grip keeping her away from what had once been Dorcas.

Laughing, the Death Eater turned to face her. Without any visible cause he stopped laughing and joined Dorcas on the ground with the dead.

"Prewett!" Moody's voice barked from the background.

"She's gone mental, sir!" Fabian called back.

"DOR!"

Another nearby Death Eater dropped dead. Fabian shuddered and flinched beneath her.

"Get her out of here, Prewett! She's dangerous."

Eyes fixated on Dorcas Emmeline didn't notice Fabian knocking her out.

She woke up in their flat. Her flat now. No one to share it with any more.

"Dor…" Her voice sounded cracked and tired now, broken beyond repair.

"You went insane out there, Vance. I'm not going to ask why." Fabian's voice came from somewhere near the kitchen. "It's obvious now, standing here." They had plastered the walls with their memories. "But Mad Eye says I'm to ward you in here 'till you safe again. I'll pop in and out, make sure you're not hurting yourself." He paused for a moment. "I'm sorry she's gone, Vance. I'm sorry you had to watch."

Then he, too, was gone. Emm would not see him again. He and Gideon died five days later.

She stared at the walls, covered in pictures of her and Dorcas together, whatever space was left after those filled with inane doodles and poorly drawn pictures. Proof that they happened, that the pair of them existed, remnants of their art. The smallest stuttering pieces of her heart.

Filled with the hurt fury of those left behind, Emm tore around the house, grabbing every picture she could find and ripping it from the walls all the while screaming at the sheer stupid injustice of it all.

Why it did have to be Dor? Why did the world have to take away her one shining thing?

Breaking down the girl fell to the floor gathering the pictures to her. For a while she sat there, pictures and art clutched in her hands and scattered on the floor around her lap. Then the crying started. Loud vicious sobs that she couldn't, didn't want to, stop.

The violent sobs eventually turned into a steady stream of silent tears. The tears slowly faded into whole body shivers. The shivers gave way to silence and numbing white noise. The white noise blurred into exhaustion. Exhaustion faded into a shallow, troubled sleep. Emm refused to part with the very last piece of her heart, artwork crushed tightly to her chest, where it would remain for the next two weeks.

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Remember the Rapid Review Rabbit loves you! xxx Moda


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